The Pediatric Surgical Burden of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

jpedsurg.org

Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health achievements in modern medicine, preventing millions of deaths and disabling complications worldwide.1 High childhood immunization coverage eliminated endemic transmission of measles, rubella, and polio in the United States and led the global eradication of smallpox.1 However, declining vaccine uptake, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, has enabled the reemergence of infections once considered controlled. As a result, pediatric surgeons increasingly encounter complications of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) that require operative management, multidisciplinary coordination, and long-term follow up.

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Article · Dec 2025 · 1 min read

In brief

This article examines the increasing surgical burden pediatric surgeons face due to declining vaccination rates and the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. It discusses how reduced immunization coverage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to operative complications from infections like measles, rubella, and polio that require complex surgical management and long-term multidisciplinary care.

Declining vaccine uptake has led to reemergence of previously controlled infections requiring surgical intervention.
Pediatric surgeons now face increased operative cases from vaccine-preventable disease complications.
High immunization coverage historically eliminated endemic measles, rubella, and polio transmission in the US.
COVID-19 pandemic amplified vaccine hesitancy, reversing decades of public health progress.
VPD complications demand multidisciplinary coordination and long-term surgical follow-up.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.

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